Auxiliary balloon and inflating-tank therefor



e. w. WILKIN. AUXILIARY B ALLOON AND INFLATING TANK THEREFOR.

. APPLICATION FILED DEC-28,1918. 1,37%,260n

L 2. 9 1T 2 m s E M d4 m w a P e w. WILKIN.

AUXILIARY BALLOON AND INFLATING TANK THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-28,1918.

1,372,260, Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

4 SHEETSSHEET Z.

w R m R '6. m Mm 1 I r W 1/ I Gum,

G. W. WILKIN.

AUXILIARY BALLOON AND INFLATING TANK THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-28. 191B.

Patented Mar. 22, 1921..

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

G. W. WILKIN.

AUXILIARY BALLOYON'AND INFLATING TANK THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.28, 1918. 1,372,260. Patented Mar. 22,1921.

' 4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE w; WILKIN, F GRANGEVILLE, IDAHO.

1 Specification. of Letters Patent. Patented M 22 1921; i

' Application filed December 2a, 1918. Serial No. 268,627.

To all to ham it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WILKIN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Grangeville, in the county ofIdaho and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Auxiliary Balloons and Inflating-Tanks Therefor, ofwhich the following is a specification, .reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to the art of aeronautics and particularly toballoons.

The general object of the invention is to provide a gas bag or balloonto be used under some circumstances in conjunction with an aeroplane,and a gas tank with pumping mechanism and valves so arranged that thegas within the tank may be discharged into the balloon for the purposeof inflating it at any time desired, or the gas within the balloon bepumped back into the tank when it is desired to deflate the bal- 10011,the balloon when deflated being adapted to be carried in a collapsedcondition in a suitable case formed for carriage on the shoulders of aman, or in a suitable case attached to and forming part of an aeroplane,airship or other apparatus used for aerial navigation.

A further object is to so construct the balloon or gas bag that it maybe folded or collapsed into relatively small space until neededwhereupon it may be as readily inflated by allowing compressed gas topass thereto.

A further object is to provide an aeroplane with a normally deflatedballoon which when desired may be inflated by pass-,

ing gas thereto from a suitable tank car ried in the body of theaeroplane and in this connection to provide means whereby the planes ofthe machine may be operated to cause the elevation or depression of 'themachine and whereby the rudders may be operated to steer the machine.

A further object is to provide a balloon adapted to be used as beforestated, so con structed that it will be braced against undue expansionand further so constructed that it will automatically, upondeflation,fold into the proper folds permitting its collapse into the smallestpossible bulk.

Still another'object is to provide a case adapted to be carried upon theshoulders of a man. the case being formed to prov de a compartment forthe folded balloon and a gas tank, and inthis connection to providemeans whereby the balloon is normally held in its collapsed conditionuntil gas is ad- -mitted to the balloon whereupon the fastenings whichholdthe case closed will automatically open to permit the balloon toexpand out of the case and into operative position. i

Still another object is to provide means whereby the gas may be pumpedback from the balloon into the tank to cause the collapse of the balloonor to reduce its carrying capacity and thereby permit the opera tor tosink.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanymg drawings, wherein vFigure 1 is a side elevation or an airship provided with a supportingballoon or gas bag constructed in accordance with my inventlon; a

Fig. 2 is 'a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the mechanism whereby theforward and rear planes of the machine are operated;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective View showing the means whereby theforward and rear steering rudders are operated;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the tubular connections from thegas tank tothe balloon;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail view showing the manner of connecting thecollar 31 to one of the control levers;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing my invention applied to anindividual balloonand illustrating the balloon in its distendedposition;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view tion illustrated in Fig.8;

Fig. lOis a section on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9; i

Fig. 11 is a front elevation of the construction illustrated in Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion ofthe balloon caseand cover, showing the cover latches and "operating means therefor; i

Fig. 13 is a detail showing a pump operating means.

of the construc within the car is the longitudinally extend ing shaft 13by which the steering of the machine is controlled.

Extending upward from the car is a suitable framework which may be ofany desired design and carried by this framework is the longitudinallyextending flat base 14 for the balloon 15. This balloon consists of sidewalls which are attached to the base, and a top 16. 'This top or coveras illustrated in Fig.2 is of thin material, though preferably rigid andprovided with lateral flanges adapted to fit down over the lateralflanges 17 on the base 14. This base 14 is also to be of-relativelylight but stiff material. The construction of the balloon itself will belater stated.

Mounted upon the framework in any suitable manner, and illustrated asdisposed forward and rearward of the balloon 15 are the forward and rearlateral planes 17. There are two planes at the forward end of themachine and two planes at the rear thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 3.These planes are pivotally mounted upon a transverse shaft or likemember 18 and are capable of being tilted, the shaft 18 being providedwith a downwardly extending arm 19 midway of its length to which anoperating cable is connected.

' As illustrated, the machine is provided with a longitudinallyextending frame 20 which supports pulleys 21 at the forward and rearends of the machine. Passing over the forward pulley 21 and connected tothe forward arm 19 is a cable 22 while-a similar cable 23 passes overthe rearmost pulley 21 and to the rear arm 19. The double cable 22passes over a double pulley 24 and the two lengths of the cable are thencarried downward and divergently and around the two longitudinallyspaced pulleys 25 and then the two lengths of the cable are connected toeach other and to a longitudinally movable operatin rod 26. The cable 23which is also dou led passes over another set of double pulleys 24= andthen downward divergently and over longitudinally spaced pulleys 25*,the two lengths of the cables being connected to each other and to alongitudinal rod 26. These longitudinally extending rods 26 and 26, actas nected to each other by longitudinally extending rods 30, which rodsare slidingly mounted in collars 31, these collars being pivoted to therespective lever 28 or 28" as shown in Fig. 7. By-this means the rods 30are always kept in horizontal position without regard to the inclusionof the levers and by this means the operation of the lever 27 or 27 willact to operate the levers 28 or 28 simultaneously or vice versa. Therods 30 not only connect the levers but also act as means for lockingthe levers in their angularly adjusted positions and it is for thisreason that the rods 30 are rotatably mounted in the collars 31. Theserods at their rear ends are provided with laterally projecting teeth 32and at their forward and rear ends are provided with the radiallyextending arms 33, there being an arm 33 in connection with each of thelevels and each arm being connected to a hand grip 34 by a link 35.

Thus it will be obvious from Fig. 4 that when the hand grips 34 areclosed the corresponding rod 30 will be rotated to disengage its teeth32 from the detaining member 36 and thus the rod 30 is unlocked and thelevers may be shifted. By this construction I provide a double controlfor the planes and an individual control for either the forward plane orthe rear plane and also provide means whereby both the forward and rearplanes may be shifted simultaneously if desired. Of course it will beunderstood that these levers 27, 27, 28 and 28 are intended to bedisposed in conjunction with the cock pits A and B wherein the twooperators are seated.

For the purpose of steering the machine I mount upon the longitudinalmember 20 or in any other suitable manner the vertically dependingpintles 37 upon which are mounted the forward and rear rudders 3S and39. Each pintle is provided with an outstanding arm 40 as illustrated inFig. 5, and a cable 41 is attached to these arms 40. this cable passingaround pulleys 42 mounted upon the frame member 20 in any suitablemanner, then extending toward each other and the middle of the machine.then downward over pulleys 43 and over a winding pulley 44. This portionof the cable may be provided with a sprocket chain, if desired, and thewinding pulley may be in theform of asprocket wheel. This winding pulleyor sprocket wheel 44 is mounted upon the longitudinally extending shaft13 previously referred to, which carries at its ends the beveled gear'Wheels engaged by for a doublecontrol of the steering rudders. 1

The balloon 15 is composed of any suitable fabric, such as silk or othercloth treated so as to render it impermeable to gas, and as beforestated, this balloon is composed of side walls which are made. of thematerial before described, these sidewalls being attached to the base orbottom 14and the top or cover 16 in the mannerillust-rated in Fig. 2.Ihe interior of this balloon may be and preferably will be divided intoa plurality of small compartments by partitlons of silk. so that if oneportion of the balloon is punctured by a bullet the balloon will stillmaintain enough gas to prevent collapse.

The dimensions of the balloon are such that when expanded it will befrom ten to forty feet in height. The length of the balloon will, ofcourse, depend upon the-size of the machine. Preferably the balloon willbe so constructed that when it is collapsed it will fold longitudinallyon a plurality of lines as in an accordion and to the end that when theballoon is collapsed it shall automatically fold on these lines, andcol-J lapse as an accordioncollapses, I provide a plurality'of elasticties 48 extending transversely of the balloon and connected to theapices of the rentrant folds as illustrated most clearly in Fig. 2.These ties 48 are made of any elastic material which will havesuflicient contraction and which will permit of sufiicient expansion toin turn permit the balloon to be expanded'or collapsed. -When theballoon is expended, as shown in Fig. 2, these ties will be expanded butas soon asthe balloon is deflated and the pressure is decreased in theinterior of the balloon, the ties will commence to retract which willcause the balloon to fold, as illustrated.

Also mounted in connection with the balloon and extending transverselythereacross are a plurality of ties 49 which will prevent the undueexpansion of the side walls and which will brace these side wallsagainst any possible strain. Vertical ties 50 are also provided attachedto the base 14 and to the upper collar 16 which prevents the undueupward expansion of the balloon or a distension of the balloon whichwould tend to tear or otherwise damage the side walls.

In order to hold the balloon in a position perpendicular tov the bottom14 when the balloon is expanded and alsov brace the fabric of theballoon against thrust or strain, I provide a plurality of forwardly andrearwardly extending exterior elastic ties 51 andrigid ties 52, and aplurality of interior elastic and rigid ties of like construction. Theselast named ties are attached to the wall of the balloon at'intervals andextend downward and are attachedto the bottom or base 14. The exteriorties, both the elastic ties and the non-elasticties, are connected toforwardly and rearwardly extending portions 53 of the'supporting frame.The elas- "tic ties yieldingly hold the balloon in its perpendicularposition relative to the bottom 14, the inelastic ties prevent unduestretching of the elastic'ties and the elastic.

ties act to assist in drawing the balloon into a collapsed conditionwhen pressure of gas within the balloon is reduced.

In order to provide for the inflation of the balloon, a pipe 54 isprovided which is connected to a gas tank 55 and which is connected to aheader pipe 56 having branches openinginto the several compartments ofthe balloon. The tank 55 is" designed to contain gas'under pressure andtherefore is of relatively small cubic capacity orit may have meanswhereby gas may be generated when desired. This tank 55 is so connectedto the 'balloon'that by an operation of a valve, the gas may be-allowedto pass out from'the tank into theballoon or by the operation of a"pump, the gas may be withdrawn from the balloon and forced back bypressure into thetank.

To this end, as illustrated in Fig.6, I provide a tubular connection 56which is approximately U-shapedin'form and is con nected atone end, asat 5 7, to the gas tank 55 and at the other end connects to the pipe 54.A stop cock 58 is provided in this tubu- 'lar. connection 56.,

Extending across the two legs of the U-shaped pipe 56 is a pipe 59 whichat its middle is connected to any suitable air pump or gas pump as at60. This pump maybe of any suitable construction and is illustrateddiagrammatically in Fig. 6. It is to be understood that the pump may beoperated by the engine of the ma chine or by an auxiliarymotor or evenby hand power. Provision must be made for causing this pump to exhaustgas from the tank and force it into the balloon or draw it from theballoon and force it into the tank and to this end I provide the pipe 59with a check valve 61 which opens with the suction stroke of the pumpand closes upon a pressure stroke thereof. A like check valve 62 isdisposed or connected on the opposite side of the pump connection 60which opens upon the compression stroke of around through the pipes 56and so'to the balloon. If, on the other hand, the gas bag is deflatedand it is desired to inflate it, then the stop cock 58 being closed, thepump is operated which immediately withdraws the I gas from the balloonthrough the valve 61 and forces it through the valve 62 back into thetank.

I do not wish to be limited to the pipe connection illustrated wherebythis result may be secured, as it is obvious that other systems may beprovided which will accomplish the same end. This arrangement, however,is very simple, it cannot readily get out of order and it provides foran easy control of the means for inflating or deflating the balloon.

As before stated, it is also within the province of my invention toprovide an individual balloon normally held in a collapsed condition,but' adapted to be distended when desired, this balloon being of suchsize and capacity that it will support an operator and preferably ofsuch capacity that it will lift the operator, if desired. or allow himto descend gently. Such a construction as this I have illustrated inFigs. 8 to 11 and in these figures, 65 designates the gas tank which ismade of relatively light material and is adapted to be carried upon theshoulders of the operator and held thereto by means of any suitableharness or system of belts 66. as illustrated in Fig.

8, these belts being strong enough to support the body of a man from thegas tank when the balloon is inflated.

Mounted in conjunction with the gas tank 65 is the balloon 67 which, asillustrated in Fig. 10, is normally disposed in a deflated conditionback of the gas tank and preferably so folded that it will occupy butlittle space. This balloon has its neck 68 connected to a pipe 69, whichextends over the top of the tank, then downward at one side and is thereconnected to a U-shaped pipe 70 which corresponds in every respect tothe U-shaped pipe 56 illustrated in Fig. 6. This pipe 70 at its oppositeends is connected to the tank 65 as shown in Fig. 9 and is provided withthe stop cook 71 and with the two pressure dials or registers 72 and 73designed to register the pressure of gas within the balloon or withinthe tank. The U-shaped pipe 70 is connected by a transverse pipe 74which at its middle is connected to a hand ump 75 of any suitableconstruction and w ich isprovided with the inlet check valve 76 betweenthe pump and the balloon and with the outlet check valve 77 between thepump and the tank. \Vhen the pump is operated, gas isdrawn off from theballoon through the pipe 70 and pipe 74 and forced into the tank. Whenthe stop cook 71 is open communication is established between the gastank and the balloon to permit the compressed gas within the tank to bedelivered into the balloon.

The balloon is held to the back of the tank and in a folded condition bymeans of a cover 78 and this cover is held closed, as illustrated inFig. 12, by latches 79 engaging over the studs of the cover, theselatches having tails 80 which when the latches close project outward inthe path of triangular lugs 81 mounted upon a band 82 in turn slidinglymounted upon the side walls of the tank and extending over the top ofthe tank. This band 82 may be made of leather or other suitable materialand normally extends CV81 the neck of the gas bag or balloon. Now whengas is turned into the balloon the pressure of the gas in the neck 68will cause the neck to expand and lift, thus lifting the sliding strip82 and releasing the latches and the cover or inclosure and thusreleasing the balloonso that the gas can pass freely thereinto anddistend the balloon to the position shown in Fig. 8.

The balloon may be of any suitable construction. It is preferably madeof very light and thin material, such as varnished silk or the like andpreferably, though not necessarily, there will be a flexible perforatedhose 83 disposed within the balloon 67 and extending into the neckthereof which hose will have branches radiating to all portions of theballoon so as to let the gas pass equally into all portions of theballoon. This balloon may be connected by guys or cords 84: to the tank65 so as to support the weight of the tank and of the operator from theballoon when the balloon is inflated. Preferably, the cover 78 may be offlexible material such as canvas, so as to permit the ready release ofthe balloon as soon as the latches are detached. The tank 65 will beprovided with a valve 85 whereby gas may be let out of the tank orwhereby gas may be pumped into the tank.

The life preserving balloon illustrated in Fig. 8 is designed to be usedby aeronauts in place of a parachute, for instance, so that the aeronautmay at any time release the folded balloon, turn the valve so as topermit the gas to pass from the valve into the balloon and then jumpfrom his machine, the inflated balloon supporting the occupant inmid-air and allowing him to descend gradually. It is my design to havethe balloon of such capacity that when fully inflated it will elevatethe operator and the gas tank and when partially inflated will allow himto descend gradually or to remain more or less at the same elevation inthe air at which he jumped. This may be accomplished by coiltrolling theamount of gas allowed to escape ing the pressure registers or indicators72 and 73 which will indicate exactly the pressure of gas within theballoon andtank a respectively.

I design also to provide a pump 7 5 as before stated whereby the gas maybe pumped back from the balloon into the casing, to thus reduce thelifting capacity of the bala loon and I have illustrated this pump as being provided with a manually operable piston. This pump may be mountedin any suitable position where it will be convenient to the operator.

In Fig. 13 I have illustrated the pump 7 5 as having a piston adapted tobe operated by the feet, by means of a pump rod 86 having a stirrup 8?into which the operator can thrust his foot and thus operate the pump.It will be obvious that the pump might be a double-acting pump andoperated by both feet of the operator. shown in Fig. 8 may be used asbefore stated for aeronauts or it may be used by sailors, climbers, toassist in climbing mountains or crossing chasms, or by structural ironworkers. In fact, it is adapted to be used by any persons who occupydangerous positions from which they are liable to fall. It is obviousthat the details of both of these con-- structions may be changed, inmany ways, without departing from the principle of the invention, but Ido not wish to limit myself to the details illustrated or to the exactar rangement of parts.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 it will be seen that theballoon, when deflated and with the cover 16 depressed tightly againstthe base portion 14 constitutes a plane and that the machine, underthese circumstances, may be used like an ordinary heavier-than-airmachine, the-planes 17 constituting ailerons: or elevating planeswhereby the machine may be caused toascent or descend or flyhorizontally. Then if for any reason the engine should stopvor if it bedesired that the machine shall hover over a certain locality, theballoon may be inflated and then the propeller is gradually slowed downand in this case the machine will have the character of a dirigibleballoon and may be used for all purposes for which a dirigible balloonis capable. Thus the machine illustrated in Fig. 1 constitutes acombined aeroplane and dirigible balloon either of which may be used asoccasion demands; When it is desired to use the machine as amaeroplaneor the necessity for the inflation of the ballooon no longer exists itis only necessary to start the pump, whereupon the gas will be graduallywithdrawn from the balloon and the balloon will The life preservercommence to collapse and the engines will be started, the speed of theengines being increased as the gas bag is deflated. At first the-zweight of the carwill be supported by the partially inflated balloonand the planes 17, but when the balloon is fully deflated the machinewill be supported by the plane 17 and also by the plane formed of thedeflated balloon within its relatively stilt within the tank.

I claim 1. A flying machine comprising a supporting frame and a carsupported thereby, a flat, relatively thin balloon base carried by thesupporting frame and extending over the car, a balloon attached to saidbase and comprising flexible walls, and a top or cover of relativelyrigid material, said cover having a flange on its margin fitting overthe base when the balloon is collapsed with the cover lying flat uponthe base and together with the base constituting an aeroplane, a gastank carried by the car and containing gas under pressure, means foradmitting gas from the gas tank to the balloon to inflate it, and meansfor pumping gas out of the balloon and into the tank.

2. In a machine of the character described, a balloon having internal,flexible, inelastic braces engaging at spaced points with the side Wallsof the balloon, vertical, non-extensible, flexible braces attached tothe top and lower walls of the balloon, said braces acting to preventundue distension of the balloon, and elastic braces operativelyconnected at spaced points to the opposite walls of the balloon,yieldingly resisting the distension of the balloon and causing theballoon to fold at a plurality of spaced points and along a plurality oflongitudinally extending lines when the balloon is deflated.

3. A balloon of the character described having side walls of flexiblematerial longitudinally creased along a plurality of horizontal lines toform a plurality of re- 4. A balloon of the character describedincluding a rigid base, a rigid cover and flexible side walls, the baseof the balloon having an extension projecting beyond one end wall of theballoon, a plurality of upwardly inclined, flexible braces attached tosaid extension of the base and to the end wall of the balloon atdifferent heights to thereby resist end thrust on the end wall, and aplurality of upwardly inclined, flexible braces attached to the baseupon the interior of the balloon and extending upward from said end Walland attached thereto at a plurality of points.

5. A balloon of the character described including a rigid base, a rigidcover and flexible side walls, the side walls being formed to provide aplurality of alternate re'ntrant and reextrant, longitudinally extendingfolds, the base extending beyond an end wall of the balloon, a pluralityof up- Wardly and inwardly inclined, flexible, elastic braces attachedat different points to said extension of the base and attached to theapices of the 're'e' xtrant folds of the bal- Icon, and a plurality ofupwardly inclined elastic braces attached to the base inside of theballoon and extending upward and attached to the end Wall of the balloonat the apices of the re'ntrant folds, whereby when the balloon isdeflated, the exterior braces will pull the reextrant folds outward, the

tically through the balloon and preventing undue extension of theballoon, transversely extending elastic braces attached at intervals tothe walls of the balloon to thereby cause the balloon when collapsed tofold at a plurality of uniformly spaced points, the base of the balloonextending beyond the side wall thereof, a plurality of upwardly inclinedflexible, non-extensible braces attached to said extensions of the baseand to the end walls of the balloon at different heights to therebyresist thrust on the end walls, and a plurality of elastic bracesattached to the end walls of the balloon and causing them to fold at aplurality of spaced points when the balloon is collapsed.

7. A machine of the character described including aballoon, a Ushapedpipe connected at'one end to the balloon, a gas tank connected to theother end of the pipe, a stop cock arranged in said pipe and controllingpassage from the gas tank into the bal- 10011. a pipe connecting thelegs of the U- shaped pipe, a pump connected to the middie of theconnectin pipe, and a check valve disposed in one side of the pump andin said connecting pipe opening upon a suction stroke. of the pump andclosing upon a compression stroke, and a check valve on the oppositeside of the pump and in said connecting pipe opening upon a compressionstroke of the pump but closing upon the suction stroke thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

GEORGE W. VVILKIN. Witnesses HAROLD HARRIS, R. F. FULTON.

